"Ramseyer to Praetorius"

A longer and more considered letter from Ramseyer about the petition. When Ramseyer suggested to Beko that together they should go to Akropong to greet the Inspector in view of his not being able to come to Abetifi, he heard that a letter had already been sent to him by the Christians. He aksed if the letter included any accusations, and was assured that this was not the case. Hearing from Dilger what the petition involved, he came to acknowledge to himself that he had been wanting in patience on occasions towards some of the Christians, naming Boamma. ('War ich am ersten Tag niedergeschmettert, so bin ich jetzt seitdem ich diese Angelegenheit dem Herrn vorgelegt habe, ruhig. Ich habe mich vor Ihm geprüft, and erkenne dass ich in Bezug auf Geduld u. Langmuth gegen welche unserer Christen gefehlt habe. Ich bin rasch von Natur u. hie u, da hat mich das träge, flatterhafte Benehmen welche unserer Christen u. das spöttische Wesen eines gewissen James Boamma zu Weilen zu Ungeduld hin gerissen u. ich bedauere wenn bei einer Gelegenheit wo dieser letztere von der Arbeit weglaufend u. erst nach dreimaligen rufen sich einstellend, von mir eine ordentliche Rüge auf dem Arbeitsplatz erhielt. Ich verstehe dass dies ihm sehr unangenehm sein mag. Dies sind etwa die Fälle die Unzufriedenheit haben verursachen können‘). The other points 'he regards as libel, and he is especially concerned at the remark about animals. He asked the Christians whether he had ever layed hands on anyone? They could remember none, and Ramseyer says that even towards the boys he has been very 'reserved' in this way. Ramseyer writes a long paragraph about Boamma, who he believes wrote the petition first in twi, (so that the drunken clerk's English was a translation rather than the first version). He was earlier an attendant of the Abetifi chief's - after his baptism the missionairies were satisfied with him for a time though he tried to play the leader from time to time. He was also idle and given to drinking. A year after his baptism he was excluded because of adultery and gave them a lot of trouble by trying to get a Christian wife on the station to leave end marry him, although she had a husband, admittedly he had been away a long time. At one stage Ramseyer had to drive him of the station because he was trying to talk the presbyters round to his side. After 1 1/4 years he applied to be re-admitted, having in the meantime married again, and for a time conducted himself well. Then his proud ways began to make trouble - in every little case in which he had to be corrected, and especially when Ramseyer warned him about work, he began to behave badly. Recently Ramseyer has several times called him, and spoken to and prayed with him, but when asked about the root of his bad temper he said only that soon he would have no money with which to buy meat. ‘I have pointed out to him that a true Christian must work, and that through work we are protected from much temptation'. His reaction to being reminded of his farm was that cleaning a farm was women’s work. It seems that now he is thinking about taking up his office with the new chief. Ramseyer is particularly sad at what has occurred because, before the Communion service at the end of the year he had called a conference at which many points were discussed, and Ramseyer said repeatedly that when he checked people it was for their own good. At the end he asked if anyone had anything more on their hearts and the answer apparently was 'No'. He feels that the discontent is connected with the fact that while he used to advance money to the Christians, now he only does in exceptional circumstances. Also he will sell nothing on credit any more (citing cloth). Also his constantly having to drive them to work, and also his efforts to get them to come regularly to prayers and services. And finally (in a postscript) the fact that recently he has had cases of men wanting to divorce heathen wives - for idleness and abuse - which he has forbidden according to New Testament’s practice.

15.03.1883

15.03.1883

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